It shouldn’t feel that cold

I mean really. I grew up in Minnesota. It was a lot colder there in the winter than I am currently experiencing here in New York. But then I think – in Minnesota one has choices for clothing. Jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, mittens just to start. Snowsuits if you are a kid or going sledding. Warm sweaters and heavy pants. Decent boots. I have what I wore from Germany, most of the rest is for the cruise; temperatures in the high 70sF in Buenos Aires. Not a lot of down jackets needed there.

As a result this morning I dressed in layers; fleece and wool, tights and wool pants, hat, jacket, keens. Yep, you read the last one right. Me and my keens. My choices are limited to running shoes or dressier shoes. The Keens with decent socks actually keep my feet warmer and avoid wearing sport shoes out on the street. I also picked up two more pairs of tights and extra socks just in case I wind up stuck here.

Yes, there are winter storm warnings starting at midnight and lasting through Friday. My flight is just after 1300 out of Newark. We are headed to the airport early, just in case. The “we” means that George got in safely and was downtown less than two hours after landing. He had the same experience I did: JFK is testing a new C&I system. Instead of standing in line for hours all the US, Canadian and Green Card Holders were directed to a new area where there were a number of kiosks very similar to Global Entry. It scanned your passport, you answered questions, it took a photo (probably ran it through recognition software) and printed you a slip. This receipt along with your passport meant a 15 second stop at the Immigration Officer’s counter before being turned loose. The last time it was 90 minutes in line; this time less than 10 minutes. Go figure but I love it and hope that it expands. In turn it allows more agents for the visitors line since you don’t have to be a certified agent to help idiots followed screen directions.

Tomorrow’s update hopefully will come from Houston while we are waiting for our 2100 flight to Buenos Aires……

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